Love is more than just surviving
by Nihara
Summary: He'd always loved her, and he'd always been ignored. But now, maybe he would stand a chance.


_Not a professional, and definitely not the owner of Harry Potter._

 _Written by third Chaser of the team Tutshill Tornados._

* * *

 _Round 5: What's in a Name?_

 _Prompt: Write about a character loving another character despite being (mistreated or) ignored by them._

 _Other Prompts:_

 _(dialogue) "It was like kissing a troll, only wetter."_

 _(object) toilet paper_

 _(song) Raining Diamonds - Ricki Lee_

* * *

 **Love is more than just surviving**

"I love you, Angelina," the first-year said as loudly as he could.

The girl ignored him in favour of the Christmas presents she and Alicia were busy opening, her back facing the boy. He made a face and let his twin nurse his heart that had been shattered because of the cold rejection of his love.

* * *

Angelina, Alicia, and Lee whooped when the twins presented the bottles of butterbeer they'd brought from the kitchens. The four of them (except Lee) had made it to the Gryffindor team, and it was the time to celebrate.

After his fifth bottle of butterbeer, he turned to the dark-skinned girl and asked, "Go out with me?"

The girl giggled and took another sip from her bottle. "We aren't allowed to go to Hogsmeade yet, and there is no place else where you can take me on dates, so try next year."

He clutched his chest and sighed dramatically, pretending drunk. "You wound me, woman."

She'd designed his statement unworthy of a response.

* * *

"Oh lovely lady, my heart beats for you, and only you!" He cried when the girl finally walked down the stairs and into the common room, her friend Alicia, and their little prodigy Katie, in tow.

Angelina raised her eyebrows. "I'll think about it if you find a way to get Katie into Hogsmeade, too.

He gasped and turned to his twin. "Did you hear that, Gred?"

"I did, brother mine," his twin responded.

"They have so little faith in us!"

"They think we cannot smuggle an ickle second year out of the school."

"We do need to amend that." With that, the twins picked up the smallest girl and marched out of the common room, determination shining on both their faces.

He didn't get his date, but that evening, when Angelina kissed him (and his twin, but that could be ignored) on the cheek, he still considered it a win.

* * *

He threw a roll of toilet paper which they were going to use in their next prank at his twin. "You can go with Alicia! Or Katie! Or anyone, I don't care. Angie wouldn't even know which one of us goes with her."

"I won't do that. I like her, George!"

His hand, which was clutching the second roll, stopped mid-air. It wasn't Fred's fault, was it, that Angelina had always ignored him, as well his love for her, in favour of his twin? Perhaps Fred wasn't wrong when he claimed to be the better-looking twin, he thought as he turned his back to where his twin was still standing in the door. He might be almost seventeen, but he wasn't above giving his twin silent treatment.

— o —

"So, how was it? Going on a ball with Fred?" he asked her the next day. Angelina made a face.

"It was okay, I suppose. He kissed me."

George's heart sank, but he schooled his face into an amused, slightly curious expression, silently asking her to continue.

"It was like kissing a troll, only wetter!" George couldn't help but laugh at that. He hoped now she would perhaps give him a chance, too.

* * *

All those hopes went down the hill as he watched from where he was leaning against the door of the Three Broomsticks as his twin frolicked about the village, an arm slung over Angelina's shoulder. The two eventually found their way to the pub, and while Fred slapped him on the shoulder, Angelina walked past, not noticing him at all.

It was harder of a slap, being kind of ignored by someone who you loved. Someone who was dating your look-alike.

* * *

"Hey," it was Angelina. She was just a step behind him, and he wondered if he had confused him for Fred in the dim light of the narrow tunnel. He voiced as much and was surprised when she laughed.

"I think anyone can tell the difference between you two now." _Ah_. He was sure she was gesturing towards his ear now — Angelina had always used her hands a lot while talking, he knew.

He turned around — it was a little difficult in the narrow space, but he managed. "So, ready to kick some Death Eater-y ass?"

Angelina just winked at him.

* * *

She wouldn't look at him, completely ignoring him throughout the ceremony. He wished he could ignore himself, too. He knew it was difficult for everyone to look at him and not remember Fred.

She looked shattered as his eyes sought her once again through the crowd. These all people, they didn't know Fred at all. They never tried to get to know the person past all the pranks and jokes. Angelina had known him, had loved him. In this moment, the two of them — George and Angelina — were more united than ever.

And it hurt, losing the person he had lost the one he loved to. Merlin, it hurt to have lost his twin.

* * *

"Hey." He knew he looked like a mess, but he didn't care. He'd turned twenty-four today, and now when he looked into the mirror, he couldn't recognise much of Fred as he had last seen him. They had said the pain would fade away, but it hurt as much as it had the other day. So now he was standing on the doorstep of the only person he knew would understand.

She had red, puffed-up eyes of her own when she finally met his gaze. "Come in."

The time they passed drinking firewhiskey was all a blur. It had become a tradition of sorts, drinking themselves to oblivion on this day as they shared memories of Fred.

The next thing he knew, he was leaning over the table, his lips pressed to Angelina's.

She didn't push him away. His brain supplied, rather bitterly, that there was no Fred for her to go to instead, all the while ignoring George's love. He told his mind to shut up.

Maybe, just maybe — and Merlin, he hated himself for this thought — now that Fred wasn't here, he could get the one who he loved to love him back. He knew that love was more than just surviving, but he decided he wanted to make this work.


End file.
